Simon Bennet, Director of International Chamber of Shipping
By Satish Kanady
DOHA: The international shipping industry is ready to contribute to the Global Climate Fund to help slash global emission rate significantly. The industry’s international body yesterday called on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to act globally to facilitate it.
It is vital for all governments to understand that in the absence of a global framework agreed by IMO there is serious risk of regional or unilateral measures regulating CO2 emissions for shipping.
This would have a seriously distorting effect on international shipping markets, but most importantly would be much less effective in delivering meaningful reductions in CO2 emissions by the global shipping sector as a whole, Simon Bennet, Director, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) said in a meeting held on the sidelines of the ongoing COP18.
He urged the governments at COP18 to continue to respond positively to the significant IMO agreement in 2011, to adopt a package of technical measures to reduce shipping’s CO2 emission.
This was the first international agreement containing binding and mandatory measures to reduce CO2 emissions that has so far been agreed for an entire industrial sector, Simon said.
Doha COP needs to support the IMO as it continues its vital work to help deliver meaningful CO2 emission reductions by international shipping, including the development of “Market based Measures”.
Significant emission reduction is more likely if agreed by the IMO on global basis. The governments must consider setting up a joint UNFCC-IMO group on shipping finance. Simon said the idea of government holding the fund contributed by the shipping industry is not acceptable for the ICS.
The Chamber very much hopes that governments at COP18 will continue to respond positively to the significant IMO agreement, in 2011, to adopt a package of technical measures to reduce shipping’s CO2 emissions. This is the first ever international agreement containing binding and mandatory measures to reduce CO2 emissions that has so far been agreed for an entire industrial sector.
The shipping industry believes that IMO is now very well placed to continue the real progress it is making on Market Based Measures to help deliver further emissions reductions.
This includes a possible shipping industry environmental compensation fund with linkages to the UNFCC ‘Green Climate Fund established by the COP17 in Durban.
This could address the Kyoto Protocol principle of “Common But Differentiated Responsibility’ (CBDR) by directing funds raised from international shipping towards environment related projects in developing countries.
The global shipping industry believes that it will be possible for shipping to reduce CO2 emitted per tonne of cargo transported 1km (tone/km) by 20 percent between 2005 and 2020, through a combination of technological and operational developments, as well as the introduction of green ships.
The International shipping industry is firmly on track to reduce its CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2020, with significant further reductions thereafter, said Simon. The Peninsula
